The Unexpected Sensei
by bonez1925
Summary: COMPLETE. Leo, Raph, and Don complain about the temporary sensei Splinter has assign them. Little do they know that he is exactly what they need. Please REVIEW
1. The four turtles

Master Splinter was watching his sons train. It had been 13 years since he had found them and become their father and trainer. He was proud of each one. They were all so special, but sometimes this same thought made him depressed. They were all special, but they could do nothing but stay down in the sewers, shun from the world. Whatever they were good at could only be appreciated by him and themselves. He shook the thought from his head. He was training his sons now and he needed every ounce of concentration for it.

Master Splinter watched each of their sons closely making mental notes about their fighting styles, about their strengths and their flaws.

First he watched Leonardo. He was the oldest, the one who seemed to want to be just like him. Splinter was able to tell he had leader material. He could think on his feet when the moment came to it. He was very responsible, especially when it came to his brothers. A perfectionist, Leonardo always tried his best at whatever they were doing. He was the one to concentrate the most during meditations; the one who practiced all of his katas to perfection, and the one who showed the most responsibility.

Unfortunately being a perfectionist also worked against him. Master Splinter could tell that sometimes Leonardo got frustrated at not being able to do something as good as he thought he should. Splinter would tell him that sometimes he just needed to relax and take his time. Leonardo would agree, but then he would get frustrated for not being able to relax as well as he should. Splinter just sighed.

Then he watched Raphael. He was easily the most aggressive of the four. He hated being second to Leonardo and thus trained hard to beat him. Raphael valued strength more than anything else. Every time he fought he would put a lot of strength into his punches making sure that whoever was fighting with him would feel every punch and remember him for it. He was really wild, always wanting to punch something if he felt frustrated.

Of course anger is never good during a battle, it could really blind you during the fight and make you lose even if you had more skill. This was actually part of the reason Leonardo could beat Raphael many times. The Master had told Raphael that he needed to relax and let his mind be free of clouding thoughts. Raphael would accept his flaw and go try to clear his mind, but then he would get angry that he couldn't and would start to pound on the punching bag until there was no more of it. Splinter sighed again.

Master Splinter's eyes then moved to Donatello. He was the most curious of the four. Ever since he was a baby Splinter can remember the curiosity the kid had. He was the first to speak, the first to read, the first to learn the Japanese he taught them, but all in all, he was specially curious about science. Donatello was also the most gentle of the turtles; he was the one to least get in a fight with his brothers and the one who would usually stop the fights too.

Splinter could tell the way he would try to calculate his moves so that he could become the winner. Of course there was nothing wrong with that, except that sometimes he thought about something too long and that's when he would get beaten. And as he had done with the other two, he told him that sometimes he just needed to unwind so that he could be able to think on his feet. Donatello would nod, but then he would break his head thinking of a way that he could relax. Splinter sighed once more.

Splinter's eyed moved from the violent brother to most care free, happy, and childish of the bunch, Michelangelo. His fourth and youngest son was the only one that didn't need anyone to tell him how to relax, when to relax, and sometimes, when he should stop relaxing. Michelangelo was the only one of the four who could make a joke in the most stressful of times. He had a winning smile that could ease problems away and could make someone laugh when they needed a good laugh. All his bothers would always tell him that he needed to grow up and be more serious, but Michelangelo would just make a joke and go back to whatever he was doing. He was also the most creative. He was always drawing and making stories and imagining things that would take him to an adventure.

Master Splinter didn't bother him about it. In the dark sewers one could say that a child would grow up to be a depressed person. Not Mikey though. He could find so many things to do down here and be happy without so much effort. He was also a natural athlete. Michelangelo was never one to put so much effort in his training, but surprisingly he was still able to be the fastest of the four. He would invent his own moves while training, and sometimes could win a fight against Leonardo's persistence, Donatello's intelligence, and Raphael's strength.

Master Splinter wondered at this for a second. Why WAS Michelangelo able to do this? What was the advantage he had against them? Splinter's brows furrowed thinking about this. Soon his face lightened and his eyes sparkled at a thought.

He had an idea and he hoped it would work.


	2. Sensei?

Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello were sitting at the dojo waiting for their master. It was early in the morning and they were all still very sleepy. They all thought that they would be fighting today just like every other day, but Master Splinter had said that today they should just wait for him.

"Why d'ya think Sensei wants us jus sittin' here anyways?" Raphael said in a bored voice

"I'm not sure. Actually, I was wondering where Mikey is. I know that sometimes he's late, but he's never this late." Donatello answered.

"Well I bet Sensei's going to be mad at him. He really needs to be more responsible." Leonardo commented in his usual leader voice.

"Whateve' Fearless Leader. You jus' like bein' the favorite" Raphael teased with a grin on his face

"Shut up,_ Raphie_" Leonardo answered also in a teasing manner

"Don't call me that!"

"Then don't call me that either!"

"Make me!"

"Fine!"

Leonardo, completely forgetting that he was supposed to be calm, jumped on Raphael and started fighting. Donatello just rolled his eyes, when will his brothers learn? As the fight continued, Master Splinter entered the dojo expecting to see his three sons calmly sitting there waiting for him.

"BONEHEAD!"

"DOOFUS!"

"LOSER!"

"DOUBLE-LOSER!"

Why did he expect that again?

Master Splinter cleared his throat. Almost instantly Leonardo and Raphael stopped fighting and went to sit in front of him. The master just shook his head. He should have known better than to try to make them sit quietly, but now to more important manners. He was going to give them special training today and he wanted to enjoy every second of it.

"Master Splinter?" Leonardo spoke waking their Sensei from his thoughts.

"Yes, Leonardo?" Splinter answered

"Where's Mikey? We haven't seen him since the morning, is he sick?" Leo asked worried. Splinter noticed that when he asked this both Raphael and Donatello looked up expectantly. He couldn't help but smile. No matter how much the three bothered Mikey, they just couldn't stand seeing their brother in any kind of discomfort.

"No my son" Splintered answered without giving any other explanation. The three kids just stared at him questioningly. He smiled. It was time to begin their special training.

"Do you know why I called you here this morning?" Splintered asked his sons

"To train of course" Donatello answered

"Of course. Today we will do a very special kind of training" The Master said. This had their curiosity. Special training? What could be?

Splinter continued, "I have observed you three a lot closer for some time now. I have seen the way you train and I must say you are doing very well considering your age"

All three sons smiled proudly. They were actually being complimented?! This has to be a trick! "But…" Aaand there it is. "…I have also seen flaws that just don't seem to disappear. For this reason I have assigned someone to teach you three some very valuable lessons"

"Waitta minute!" Raphael protested, "how com' Mikey doesn' have t' train wit us?!"

"That, my son, I will answer now" Splinter said smiling, "It is time for you to meet your teacher"

"Wait, you're not teaching us?" Leonardo asked

"No, he is" Splinter said motioning to the door. Leo, Donnie, and Raphael looked toward the door. Their jaws dropped as soon as they saw who came in.

" 'Sup Dudes!" said non other than Michelangelo as he came near the door with a big smile.

"NO WAY!" said the three brothers with their eyes bulging out.

"Master Splinter! HE's our teacher?!" Asked Donatello incredibly surprised. Splinter nodded.

"That can't be! I mean… he's younger than us! And he doesn't train as much or pays attention in class or-"

"I know that Leonardo" Splinter said cutting off his son, "but as I have said, you three have some very fatal flaws and he is the one who will teach you how to overcome them. Now, I will leave you four for your training." Splinter said as he started walking towards the door.

"No Way! I'm ain't gonna let a crybaby teach me!" Raphael said standing up determined to leave.

"Raphael" Came the grave voice from his Sensei. Raphael immediately sat back down, "You three are not allowed to come out of this dojo until you learn what you are suppose to learn, is that understood?"

All three nodded halfheartedly. "Good, now I may leave"

Once Master Splinter had left, the brothers looked at each other. Mikey gave them a grin. The others just rolled their eyes.

"No way I'm gettin' trained by ya, pipsqueak" Raphael said as he got up and headed toward the punching bag.

"Well, me neither. I train harder than you so there really is nothing for you to teach me. I don't know why Sensei told you to train me, but it's not going to happen" Leonardo said as he himself walked toward another part of the room to practice his katas.

"Sorry, Mikey" Donnie said, "It's not that I don't think you're good, it's just that I don't think there's a way you can train me" And then he got up and went to a corner to meditate.

Mikey looked as his brothers walked away each to do their own thing. He shook his head and smiled. He already knew this was going to happen. They didn't think he was able to train them? Well, were they about to be surprised. His brothers were always protecting him, babying him, and always thinking that he couldn't do a lot of stuff on his own. He liked the attention, but truth was that Mikey knew a lot. He liked talking to his brothers a lot, he admired all of them. Donnie was smart, Raphie (who hated being called like that) was strong, and Leo was responsible and determined. Because he liked to be with them he noticed many things about them that they probably didn't know.

Mikey scanned the room again. They actually thought he was going to give up? They, better than anyone else in the world, knew how persistent he was. He focused on one brother. The training was about to start whether they wanted to or not.


	3. Donatello's training

Donnie was concentrating on his meditation. It was a bit hard since his mind was always rushing with ideas and questions and calculations. Eventually he was able to do it though. Slowly his breathing became rhythmic, his heartbeat slowed, his mind cleared of all things, the outside world didn't exist, he is ca-

"Hey, Donnie!" came the cheery voice of his younger brother.

"Hey, Mikey" came the exasperated voice of Donnie. He WAS calm.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Well, I WAS trying to meditate, but I guess that's not a possibility anymore" Donnie said annoyed. He still couldn't believe that Master Splinter had put Mikey to be their sensei! Mikey of all people! It's not that he thought he was a bad fighter, not at all! But he was the baby bro! It was awkward.

Mikey was able to see his brother's discomfort. "You don't like any of this, do you?" He said looking down.

"Look, I'm sorry Mikey, but I just don't think there's anything you can teach me" Donatello said sounding calm.

Mikey just nodded at this. Donnie hated to see his brother like that, but it was just the truth. But then, Mikey's eyes lit up.

"Then why don't we play a game!" He said, his voice sounding cheery again.

"A game? What kind of game?" Donnie asked curious about what Mikey was thinking about.

"It's a Word-fighting game! What we have to do is spar with each other, but while we do that, we have to keep repeating words that start with the same letter for every attack we make!" Mikey said excitedly.

"So we have to play that word game while we fight?"

"Yeah! You wanna play?"

Donnie didn't actually feel like playing, but he didn't want to make his little brother feel worse. Plus he thought that maybe this way he could prove to his Sensei that he didn't need Mikey for anything.

"Ok, then, ready?" Donnie said getting up and putting himself in a fighting stance.

"Ready! And I get to say the first word" Mikey replied going in a fighting stance as well.

Then the two started fighting. Donatello ran towards Mikey so he could start with a kick. Mikey easily dodged "Saved!" he yelled as he dropped to the ground and tried a low kick. "Slow!" Donnie responded as he tried a right hook on his brother. "Simple!" Mikey dodged and tried to send a flying kick to Donnie. Donnie tried to think of another word but distracted himself doing so and received the kick on his chest. He flew a few feet before doing a flip and land on his feet. _That's not Mikey's style_ Donnie thought frowning, _normally Mikey likes to taunt his opponent._

Then he launched himself toward Mikey trying to figure out why Mikey was not charging as well. As if on cue, Mikey rocketed toward him with amazing speed. "Strike!" he yelled as Donnie, who had been standing there wide eyed by Mikey's sudden change of pace, received another blow. Donatello recovered fast from his blow, but it wasn't fast enough, Mikey was already on him. "Smooth, space, speed!" Mikey yelled as he landed punch and kicks. Donnie was trying to defend himself, his mind trying to think of a way out. Mikey then jumped away from him leaving Donnie even more confused. He thought that Mikey would start running towards him to land another blow, but instead just stood there. Donatello was trying to figure the situation. Why was Mikey fighting this way? How come he was going so fast and then suddenly stopped? How could he fight against him?

"Strong!" Donnie heard a yell, when he noticed; Mikey was already in front of him landing a palm heel on his face which sent Donnie flying again. He landed on the floor hard, _again_, and felt as if a two-ton fist had hit him. He had barely opened his eyes when he saw Mikey already on the air trying to make another attack!

"STOP!" Donnie said as he covered his face with his hands ready to feel more pain. Except… the pain never came… He slowly parted his hands only to see Mikey standing over him with a big grin on his face. "Success!" Mikey said in victory tone. Donatello couldn't believe it! Mikey had beaten him! Mikey had actually BEATEN him. But… but how?

"Wanna play again?" Mikey said to his brother

"You bet, and this time, I'm not gonna lose" Don said sounding a bit like Leo. Actually, he wanted to study the situation. He wanted to know what the flaw was in the battle, why he lost.

They started the game again, this time it was Donatello's turn to say the first word. "Low!" Started Donnie going again for the attack, Mikey dodging his fist. And so, it went on for a while. Don's brain was trying to figure out what was his little brother's plan. Mikey would randomly slow down, speed up, stop, attack, defend, Don saw that there were no pattern to his movements. Mikey won again yelling "Loser", but Don wanted to play again. Once again, Mikey started. "First!" he yelled as he attacked Donatello with a flying kick once again starting the game.

They had played for a while now; Mikey had won about 5 times already leaving a very angry brother. Donatello was starting to get tired of this. "Again!" Donnie yelled

"Dude… are you sure?" Mikey asked eyeing his brother's hard breathing

Don didn't answer and attacked Mikey. Screw thinking about his strategy! Screw analyzing his moves! He wanted to win! "Victim!" Donnie yelled as he flew across the floor toward Mikey. Mikey tried to dodge but Don was already sending a kick "Viper!" he yelled again as he made contact with that kick. This time it was Mikey's turn to go flying. Donatello couldn't describe what he was feeling. It was like he had made only part of his brain work in a way his whole brain could be working, except now he was also really into the fight. Normally his brain would be analyzing everything trying to come up with a plan taking his mind off the battle, but now… now he could fight and think things through at the same time! It was fantastic.

Before Donatello noticed anything Mikey was already on the ground again. This was the opportunity; he jumped to send a final blow, but then… "I give!" Donnie landed next to Michelangelo and with a winning smile said "Victory!" Then he couldn't help himself, he just had to celebrate.

"I did it! I did it! I was able to defeat you! Yeah!" Donnie cheered. Mikey just looked at his brother and smiled.

"Awesome job, dude" Mikey said

"Thanks! Man! That felt so good! It was like I was in two parts at the same time, I mean; my mind was working a thought per millisecond and I could think of words instantly. But then I also felt a rush of adrenaline, I mean; normally my mind is working overtime trying to figure out something, but then with your word game…your… you…" Donnie trailed off as if suddenly realizing something. His brows furrowed. Mikey just smiled at him, _he figured it out_, he thought.

"You… you made that game especially for this didn't you?" Don asked his brother, "M-Master Splinter said that you would be teaching us, a-and you thought about this for my training, right?"

Mikey nodded

"Wow…" Donatello gasped and then smiled, "So my problem was thinking matters too much and… that's why you created the game. Because that way my mind had to work instantly while fighting. Heh, you're actually a pretty good teacher Mikey"

The little brother laughed, "And you're actually a pretty good student. I'm just glad I was able to help."

"How come you never act this good during practice?" Donnie asked curiously

"Hey, I got a rep to keep! And you better not tell anyone or you'll have pranks coming out of your ears!" Mikey smiled

Then they both laughed.

Michelangelo left his brother to rest. He still had other two brothers to go and they were not exactly easy to fight. He sat down and drank some water. Scanning the room again, he saw his next target and by the looks of it, he really needed his rest.

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Who will be next?

**PLEASE REVIEW !!**


	4. Raphael's training

Raphael was hitting the punching bag like there was no tomorrow. How dare Mikey think he could teach him something! He fought with him every day, he knew Mikey was fast, very fast, but that didn't mean he could train him! Sure every time they fought Ralph would normally get tired soon, but when he did land a punch Mikey would normally be out. He was always protecting the little guy! When Mikey has a nightmare he's the one that was there, when he's scared Mikey comes to HIM! Why did Master Splinter think he needed Mikey's help?!

Raphael stopped for a second trying to let his arms rest a bit. He saw Mikey resting and drinking water. He looked tired and when he looked around he saw that Donnie was also tired. Had they been practicing? Don actually let himself be taught? Raphael shook his head; no way was he going to let Mikey teach him anything. He saw the orange masked turtle get up. He shrugged, he had rested enough and he wanted to let out more anger. He was about to land a very big punch when suddenly…

"Hey, Raphie!"

Raphael stopped the second he heard his name being altered. He turned around to see who had spoken. He grunted, who else could've said it?

"Wha' d'ya want Mikey? An' don't call me Raphie!" Raphael said to his smiling little brother

"Just wanted to see what you were doing" Mikey said shrugging his shoulders

"Well, as you can see…" started Raph very politely, "I'm tryin' ta forget that Maste' Splinta said I needed ta learn from you!" He finished yelling.

"All right, all right! Dude, no need to yell!" Mikey said putting his hands up in surrender

"Look, if you're here ta tell me ta train then I'm out! Ya gottit?!" Raphael yelled. He didn't want to hurt his little brother, but he wanted him to understand he didn't need him.

"I know, I'm not here to tell you that, bro"

"Y-you're not?" Raphael asked skeptically

"Nah, I just wanna see if you're up for a little challenge, but I guess if you don't want to I can always go ask Le-"

"Hold it there, buddy!" Raph cut Mikey off, "Ya bette' not say who I think ya gonna say. So… what kinda challenge?"

Mikey smiled, "Weeell…" he started "First I wanna know…"

"…if you're up for it." Mikey was now behind Raphael, and before he could turn around, Mikey had already taken his sai.

"MIKEEEY!" Raphael growled and he began to chase Mikey around. Michelangelo, of course, was laughing and jumping and taunting Raphael, except this time, he had a bigger purpose.

Mikey hadn't taken the sai just to bother Raphael (that was just an extra bonus) he had taken them so Raph wouldn't use them. Mikey noticed that Raph got tired too soon and he had to change that, plus every time Raph got mad he lost control and could never think clearly, that just wasn't acceptable.

"Mikey come back here! What kinda sensei ya wanna be anyway?" Raphael yelled.

"The fun kind!" Mikey yelled back. The orange mask turtle would slow down sometimes giving Raphael the needed time to try to strike. Raphael would take the bait and try to hit Mikey with a lot of force. Needless to say that after a short time Raphael was already slowing down and panting. Not long after he had to stop.

Mikey went to his side and got out a timer. "Mmmh… let's see, that was… 16 minutes. Wow, even I thought you'd last longer Raphie"

"Not… Raphie…" Raphael said panting, and then he looked at the watch Mikey had taken out. "You… were… actually… timing me…?"

"Yeah…" Mikey said not looking happy at all, "Sorry Raphie, I guess you really aren't up to the challenge. Well, I guess I should go ask-"

"HOLD UP!"

Mikey looked at Raphael. It looked as if he had suddenly found his reserve energy, where was all the tiredness he had a just second ago?

"I ain't coming second ta nobody, ya hear me?" Raphael said with a bunch of determination

"I know, but… you think you could last longer? I mean… I don't think you can last longer than 16 minutes." Mikey said trying to sound unsure

"Of course I can last longer!"

"Mmmh… I don't know…"

"Look! Jus shuddup an' start that timer again. Got it?"

Mikey smiled. "Got it"

Once again they began to run around. Raphael kept throwing powerful punches and kicks and Mikey was still dodging them.

"Ha! No wonder you can't last!" Mikey said

"Whatta ya mean?!" Raphael asked as he sent punch after punch.

"Well, duh! Your punches! no wonder you can't catch me. Sorry, but I guess you'll always be second!" Mikey said in a triumphant tone

_NO. WAY. He didn't jus say that! An' what does he mean 'cause of my punches?! I want ta hit him so I have ta hit him, what's the big deal?_

**_"Remember Raphael, a strong contact is not always the best choice, especially if you are faced with an agile opponent. You must control your strength and your speed evenly."_**

_Waitta minute. That's somethin' Maste' Splinta told me once. Well, Mikey's definitely 'agile' so maybe…_

Mikey saw a smile spread across Raphael's face. _He finally got it_, Mikey thought.

Raphael stood there for a moment and tried to control his breathing. He had to control his strength and his speed. _All right, here goes somethin'_

He charged. Raphael ran past Mikey. Mikey looked confused. Perfect. He ran back, this time aiming for a low kick. Mikey jumped to avoid it and tried to do a flying kick; Raph dodged it and tried a right hook. Mikey did a backward flip and avoided the hook. Raph didn't follow him. He wasn't aiming for that anymore, he wanted a successful combat and powerful fists were not going to it any more. Mikey landed on his feet and saw that Raph was still there in a combat stance ready for anything. Mikey smiled.

The orange masked turtle attacked this time. He ran towards his brother before jumping to deliver an aerial attack. Raphael defended himself with his forearms, and then he side stepped to the right and tried to elbow Mikey on the ribs. This time Mikey received the blow. Since it wasn't as powerful, Mikey just stumbled back. Mikey looked at Raphael his eyes smiling.

"I tol' ya I neva went second" Raphael said smiling

"Heh, I guess you were right bro" Mikey said smiling back

"But it's kinda weird" Raphael said furrowing his eyebrows

"What's weird?"

"I ain't sure. I mean… The moment I realized I shouldn't use only force, it's like my mind cleared. Don't get me wrong, I still wanted ta beat the shell outta ya. It's just… I could think clearly…" Raphael's voice trailed off.

"Well, congratulations bro, you did good." Mikey said smiling.

"Thanks!... Waitta minute!... Mikey... Were ya TEACHIN' ME?! Were ya actually TEACHIN' ME?!" Raphael growled/yelled at Mikey

"Did ya like it?" Mikey grinned his winning smile

"Dammit Mikey!" Raphael growled as he tried to reach for Mikey again, but this time he wasn't as angry. Mikey tried to jump out of the way but Raphael grabbed him by his foot and brought him down. Mikey thought that he was about to get beaten but instead found himself on the floor laughing. Raphael kept tickling Mikey until Mikey decided that it was his turn to fight back. Both of them laughed as they tickled each other without a care in the world. When they finally stopped, they were both panting and they're stomachs were hurting a lot but they didn't care. They rested for a while trying to get air back to their lungs. After a while Ralph got up soon followed by Mikey.

"Heh, I thought you were gonna beat the shell out of me." Mikey said with a wide smile across his face

"What? Ya wanted me ta beat ya?" Raphael said not being able to hold back his own smile

"Thanks but no thanks"

"But if you ever an' I mean ever try teachin me anything again, the only thing left of ya will be your broken shell! Got it!"

"Got it!"

"Damn. You an' your stupid challenge" Raphael said still smiling. He had to admit it. His little bro was actually really good at this teaching stuff, not that he would actually tell him that. He loved the little turtle. Truthfully, without him he would've probably cracked already. Mikey kept the place alive. And even if he knew he was able to protect himself, he would still be there for his little brother no matter what happened.

After that was over. Mikey left Raphael to rest again. Two brothers down, one brother to go

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What kind of training will Mikey do with the remaining brother?

Review and find out!


	5. Leonardo's training

Leo was angry, no, he was disappointed. He practiced every day, he tried to be the best, he tried to please his father, and he tried to never let down his family so he could protect them. Yet his father had seen flaws in him. He hated flaws! Flaws could mean his family getting hurt or taken away. If that ever happened then he would never forgive himself. He really didn't mean to be angry at his little brother. He could tell that Mikey was really gifted as a fighter. He didn't know if his brothers could tell, but he was able to see that Mikey would always hold back whenever he fought them. He could tell the way Mikey could learn a new technique the very first time he tried it and that that's why he would fool around the rest of practice.

Maybe disappointed wasn't the only thing he was feeling, maybe he was also feeling envious. Envious in the way Mikey could learn something fast, the way he could create new moves on the spot, the way he could always be so care free and joyful. Leo hated himself for feeling like that towards his little brother. He loved him more than anything in the world, but he wished he could be like him so much!

"Leo?"

Leo was startled by the sudden attention. He quickly turned to see his brother, the one he had been thinking of, right there in front of him. He relaxed his muscles. He didn't answer his brother, just looked at him.

"I'm sorry" Mikey said almost mumbling

Leo was taken aback. "Sorry for what?" he asked

"Sorry for making you feel like you weren't good enough"

"What're you talking about, Mikey?" Muttered Leo looking down, hoping his voice didn't give away his actual feelings

"Come on Leo, I know how you feel"

"Do you? Then how do I feel Mikey?" Leo said in a voice colder than he meant it to

"Leo…" Mikey said as he got closer to him, "…I know that right now you feel as if you weren't good enough and you're probably beating yourself up about it."

Leo was surprised. How could Mikey have known that?

"Cartoons aren't the only thing I pay attention to you know." Michelangelo said smiling, "You really are good. I think you're a great leader and the fact that you train so hard just to keep us safe is incredible. I really admire you for that, bro."

Leo smiled, "Thanks, Mikey. That means a lot to me." And it did. Leo started to feel bad for having felt envious of his little brother. Mikey was never cocky about it. He just liked to have fun and spend time with his brothers.

"I think you're the only one who really pays attention to all of us" Leo continued, "You know, I saw the way you trained Don and Raph, you're really good."

"Thanks"

"So, what's my training, _sensei_" Leo said smiling, "Am I going get a game or a challenge?"

"None"

"What do you mean?"

"Actually, I just want to practice the katas with you. That's if you don't mind of course" Mikey said shrugging

"Really? You... want to... practice with me?" Leo was touched. He never really had any of his brothers practice with him. Normally his brother's would think that he would take training too seriously and prefer to train alone. He felt bad about that. Sometimes he wished he could take things more loose, fact is, he couldn't.

"Well… _IF _you think you can't keep up with me…" Mikey said jokingly

"All right, all right, don't go trying to pull the same stunt you tried with Raph" Leo laughed

"All right" Mikey laughed

Leo motioned Mikey to come next to him and for the rest of the time Leo and Mikey practiced their katas. They practiced from the easiest ones to the hardest ones. Michelangelo would sometimes throw a joke and then they would both start laughing. Leonardo felt all the tension he had before loosen. Normally every time he practiced his katas he would have some sort of dark thought underneath. His family taken away, his family hurt, his family separated, everything being his fault, him not being good enough, but not today. Today there was no stress, today there was no dark thought, today Mikey was with him. They were laughing, joking, smiling, and talking about anything that came across their minds. The thought about doing anything perfect was thrown out the window. Without realizing it, Leonardo was able to do the hardest of the katas without putting so much strain in the body. It was like this for about two hours, almost time for their practice to end. It was as if the weight he always had wasn't there anymore. And then, he realized…

Leo laughed. "Leo? Uh... why're you laughing?" Mikey asked

"I just realized it" Leo said laughing

"Whatever could you be talking about dear brother of mine?" Mikey said a knowing smile on his face.

"This was my training, wasn't it?"

Mikey just smiled

"You're one tricky little turtle Mikey" Leo said smiling

"What can I say? It's a gift!"

"So then… I guess that my problem was... that I always stressed over things, am I right?"

"I told you, bro. You're already really good. But of you keep stressing yourself that way then someday you'll crack and that won't be of any help to us." Mikey said in a serious yet caring tone of voice.

"I guess you're right. It's just that... I want to be able to protect you guys when you need me. If anything ever happened then-"

"Then it wouldn't be your fault" Mikey finished

Leo looked at him confused. "Leo, we all know that you always try your hardest. If anything happens it won't be your fault because nothing could've been done. You gotta calm down about that stuff bro." Mikey said with a caring tone

Leo smiled and then chuckled. He was being lectured by his little brother who right now sounded as wise as Master Splinter. "How come you never tried for leader Mikey? You'd be great as one"

"Are you KIDDING me?! If I was leader I'd never get to watch cartoons or read comics or play pranks on anyone! Nuh-uh, no way, no how, I like being the irresponsible prankster, thank you very much"

Leo laughed even more. Yep, this was Mikey. He guessed that no matter how much of his brother he knew, he would always be the Mikey everybody loved. Leo was thankful for the thought. His family without him just wouldn't be the same.

"Come on" Mikey said snapping Leo back to reality, "We should go get the others, Master Splinter's gonna be here any minute."

"Yeah, let's go" Leo said smiling.

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I don't know about any of you but I thought this fitted Leo better than a trick or a fight would. He practices too much to not be good so I thought something that relaxed him would be better.

Sorry if it's a bit boring without the action

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**You think it's over? Well think again! Another chapter coming but you gottta review!**


	6. After training

**I am so sorry this is so late! Unfortunately, real life has a way of getting to you. Anyways, because this is late I decided to make this chapter longer. Well... ENJOY!!**

**ESPECIAL APOLOGY!!**

**I want to give a especial apology to Saundersfamily007 since I specifically told you that I was going to update soon!! SORRY! **

**Anyways, Here's the story!**

* * *

Master Splinter sat in his room drinking some tea he had made earlier. He had thought at first that he should have stayed to watch the training that his sons were going to have. He pondered about it for a moment but decided against it. He knew his sons enough to know that they would probably think Michelangelo might just be doing this to get more attention. Plus he had confidence that his youngest son would be able to handle his brothers. It was a fact that he had a way with them; otherwise he wouldn't be able to get away with many of the things he normally does. He had heard from time to time a battle yell from one of his sons, but towards the end he hadn't heard anything. To say that he was curious would have been an understatement. If his sons had finished training he probably would have heard something in their 'living room' fall and break already because of their playing, strangely enough, everything was quiet. He looked at the small clock that was across from him. Training was almost over; it was time to go check how things had gone.

The wise rat got up and started walking out of his room. He had tried to meditate, but found it difficult due to his worry. He smiled at the thought. Here he was trying to find a way to help his sons concentrate and be better at what they do and he couldn't concentrate on his meditation. He first went towards the kitchen to wash and put the cup away. His mind always wondering about the kind of training his sons had done. He walked out of the kitchen and into the dojo.

Master Splinter had trained himself to handle any kind of situation. He had seen treachery, deceit, pure evil, death, and many things that could be considered worse than death. Nothing in his training, however, trained him for the sight that he was beholding.

His sons, the same ones he had found in the sewer, the same ones he had adopted, the same ones he had trained in the art of a ninja, those sons… They were actually sitting down in a circle talking and laughing to each other. No fighting, no yelling, no whining. Master Splinter had to admit to himself that for micro-second he even doubted they were really his sons.

He started walking towards them very quietly, his sensitive ears picking up parts of their conversation.

"…I'm telling you he actually came up with a really clever game!" Donatello laughed

"That's really nice Mikey, I can see how the game would help him" Leo said

"Hey! How come ya didn't try dat on me? Instead ya jus' tried to get me mad!" Raphael asked

"That would be because you need more than shell for brains to play that game, bro" Mikey laughed

All of them started laughing and even Raphael smiled a bit. They were so much into their conversation that none of them noticed their Sensei standing really near them. Well… it wouldn't have helped if they knew, but still they were really into their conversation. Master Splinter smiled a bit being able to see his sons have a good time with each other's company. After another minute he decided that it was time to make his presence known so he cleared his throat to let them know he was there.

All four turtles turn to see their master standing practically next to them. Their eyes held at first surprise, then recognition, then amusement. One thought ran through their minds, how in the world does he that?!

"My sons, I see with satisfaction that your training has come to a good end" Splinter said. He saw how all of their smiles grew incredibly bigger and they nodded vigorously. This, of course, made the wise master's curiosity grow a notch.

"Very well my sons, I wish to see how your training has improved your skills. You shall each spar with me one at the time." Unfortunately for Master Splinter, their reaction to this statement only made his curiosity grow even more. He saw how they grew restless with excitement. Donatello had the looked he always did when he had discovered, created, or fixed something new. Raphael looked like he was ready to beat anything that came across his path. Leonardo just smiled, but Splinter could tell he was also incredibly excited about the sparring. Mikey just looked at his brothers with confidence. If they had any confidence issues that Master Splinter didn't know about, he was pretty sure that they had none now.

* * *

"HIYA!" Came the cry of the oldest of Splinter's sons. Master Splinter had told all of them to spar with him to see how they had improved and so far he had been… impressed. It's not that they were able to defeat him, not at all, he was still years ahead of them, but the problems he had encountered before were not there at all.

He had not fought with them for a long time. Normally he would just let them spar between themselves so that he watched over them and correct them while sometimes repeating the demonstrations. He was surprised to see how well they had improved with just one morning of practice with Michelangelo.

He had at first fought with Raphael. He was watching if he would attack without thinking like he normally did, but he surprised him by going with the less powerful moves and concentrating on _how_ to defeat his opponents. Master Splinter could see his mind working more. It wasn't like Donatello when you could practically hear the gears at work, but he could tell his eyes were more focused, maybe a bit rusty on the matter since it was a bit new to him, but definitely an improvement.

Then came Donatello. The old Sensei was indeed surprised when he saw the passion in Donatello's eyes. He could also see that he was also thinking of a million strategies while fighting with all his might. His brothers were cheering him on. Splinter could see that both Leonardo and Raphael were surprised by the way he was fighting, he could also see that Michelangelo was enjoying the fight. In the end, of course, Donatello lost, but the fight left two very impressed older brothers and one very proud little brother and sensei.

Right now he was fighting Leonardo and he was showing a lot of passion, but instead of frustration for not winning the fight, Master Splinter could see that he was also enjoying it. Splinter decided that it was time to end the fight and he sent a powerful yet contained kick toward his oldest son. Leo was caught off guard and flew. When he got up he didn't look upset at all! The Sensei watched as the oldest passed by the youngest that they both exchanged smiles. Splinter could see Michelangelo had done a very good job.

"So whatta ya think Master Splinta?" Asked Raphael obviously proud of the way they had fought.

Master Splinter closed his eyes for a moment trying to find the right words for the moment; he stayed like that for a few second making his four sons very nervous. He then looked up with a gleam in his eyes and took one look at all of them.

"I must say I am _very_ impressed with your progress"

A moment of awed silence and then the turtles whooped and yahooed, Master Splinter had actually used his most proud voice! He would not use it for any occasion, only for when he was the most proud about something. But when he did use it was like a gift from heaven. To his sons, that voice was better than winning the lottery five times over! Yep, it meant that much. So right now the whooping and the yahooing was just something that had to be done. Splinter understood that and let them have a moment of wildness.

After they had settled down still with smiles that were brighter that the sun; the wise rat again looked at them with benevolent silence.

"But I am not finished with what I came to do" Splinter said. Now his sons looked confused. "I still have Michelangelo to fight, he is the last one"

"Me?" "Mikey?" "Him?" "What?" Came the curious questions at the same time

"Well it would not be fair if I only fought with three of my sons now would it?" The master said playfully

"But I don't understand. Mikey's the one who was suppose to train us, he didn't train himself." Said Donnie in a confused voice that was not normal in him.

"I understand that, but I still wish to see his progress, it has been a long time since I have seen how my youngest fairs with me"

Mikey honestly didn't look to warmed up to the idea, but still, Master Splinter was not only his Sensei but also his father, so, grudgingly and willingly at the same time, he went to the center of the dojo.

Master Splinter went to the opposite side and stopped when he was a good distance away from Mikey; they both bowed and got in their ready positions. "Before we begin, Michelangelo, I wish for you to fight with all your might." Said Master Splinter in a voice that meant more to Michelangelo that the other three turtles

"Heh, heh, so… you could tell?" Mikey asked

"Yes, and it would be wise if you tried your hardest, my son" Splinter said with a I-can-tell-if-you-don't voice

"All right then, with all my might" The orange masked turtle said in a serious voice as he concentrated even more

The three remaining turtles watched with anticipation, they all now knew that Mikey was good, how good, they didn't know. It was pretty clear that Mike was not going to be beating Master Splinter any time soon, but it was a matter of how long they could last before their sensei decided to get it over with that mattered.

"Begin!" Master Splintered announced and both were off.

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**Leo's POV**

He was so fast! I couldn't believe just how fast Mikey really was! My eyes were open with awe. I couldn't believe it; he was holding out that much?! I mean I knew Mikey was better than he let on, but come on! I watched as Mikey ran towards Master Splinter, he started punching and kicking with lightning speed, I could even tell Sensei wasn't prepared for that speed! Master sent a punch to my little brother's stomach and he sent Mikey flying, with acrobatic style and grace Mikey flipped in mid air and landed softly on his feet.

No sooner had he landed that he dashed toward Sensei again, Mikey gave battle cries as he once again attacked Master with incredibly speed. Then in an unexpected move he jumped away from Master Splinter. I wonder why he did that? Sensei wasn't attacking him. For a moment it seemed that Master Splinter was just as confused, but the look passed so fast that I think I just imagined it.

Mikey stood there for a moment. His face is so serious! I have never seen him so serious during a fight, but I guess that has to happen when you're fighting Master Splinter. It's not like he could taunt him like he does with Raph. Mikey seemed to be concentrating and thinking about something, maybe it was a strategy? Suddenly he launched towards Master Splinter, except he wasn't in a position to either kick or punch! What was he thinking? Then I saw what his plan had been. Just as he was two feet away from Sensei, Mikey spun his body and crashed against Master with his shell! Sensei was surprised by the sudden change and was hit in the face, it wasn't enough force to make him fall, but he did go a few steps back.

My brothers and I were speechless. Not once have we been able to touch Master Splinter let alone hit him! Our jaws dropped dramatically. Since my body was paralyzed with astonishment I clapped and yelled in my mind towards Mikey, I mean, I know that normally I would have been jealous of him, but I knew I shouldn't be. Mikey was never arrogant about his abilities and I don't think it'd be fair if I started having bad thoughts toward him, I mean, the guy is all about being nice and all.

I really think his plan worked a lot. But, wait; now Mikey is running around Master Splinter! Does that mean that that crash wasn't all? Master Splinter is still on the defensive. His eyes haven't left my little brother for second after the attack. Maybe he's taking the fight more seriously. Mikey jumped all of a sudden, he tried an aerial kick on Sensei, but he blocked it just in time. Now he used his other leg to kick Master on his chin, or umm, snout, whatever. Master dodged the kick and grabbed his ankle and then threw him away from him. This time Mikey twirled in the air before flipping and once again he landed gracefully.

I dared a glance at my brothers and I could see amazement and shock written all over their faces, I think I could feel my face be like that too. I looked back to my younger brother and Sensei. They were still apart from each other. Then, faster than my eyes could follow, Master Splinter run towards Mikey, it almost looked as if he was gliding in the air! Mikey's eyes went wide before narrowly dodging one of Sensei's kicks, unfortunately he wasn't able to dodge his fist and it hit him square in the face. Mikey fell back and that was that.

* * *

**Splinter's POV**

To say that I was surprised would have been an understatement. Michelangelo's ability in battle was indeed incredible. Even I was not prepared for such potential. His strategies rivaled Donatello's and his battle fury rivaled Raphael's. I was impressed.

I watched as he went back to his brothers smiling shyly. I chuckled; Mikey loved attention, but seemed to hate to put his brothers down, that's probably why he doesn't like to show what he's capable of. His brother all gathered around him and congratulated him on his fight, especially on being able to tackle me with his shell. I must say, even I was surprised by that one.

At the end of the session, I once again told them how proud I was of them. I used the voice that I only reserved for especially proud moments. I think they really did deserve it. I saw in their faces how much they appreciated it, I was glad. Then I sent them to the kitchen so they could finally eat their breakfast. All of them ran off extremely happy at their accomplishments.

After breakfast I called Michelangelo so he could tell me what he did that was so successful. He smiled and told me of Donatello's game, Raphael's challenge, and Leonardo's practice. I listened closely to everything he was saying, it seems that Michelangelo is really attentive of his brothers and understands them. I guess that is because he is the most social of them all. Then I began to wonder something.

"…and when I saw that he did this face like 'wait a minute' I knew that he had figured it out so then I…"

"Michelangelo" I interrupted my youngest son, he paused and looked at me wondering what I wanted to say.

"Yes, Master"

"Michelangelo, how would you like to share the leadership with Leonardo?" He looked at me really surprised; I decided to clarify a bit. "I don't mean being the leader; I know that it means too much to your brother, but maybe you could help him out sometimes, I think it would be a wise decition" I asked thinking already of how much it would help them

"Sorry, Sensei, but no" He answered. I was surprised; I would have guessed that he would be very happy

"Why not my son?"

"Do you think Leo can be funny under stress Master Splinter?" He asked. I was surprised by the question, "I have never seen him like that" I answered truthfully wondering where he was going with this.

"That's because he can't. He's really good at leading, but stress gets to him a lot. Sometimes the tension around here is so thick it could be cut with a spoon!" He laughed a bit about he had just said, "And that's where I come in" He finished with a smile.

I stared at him a bit confused and he then asked me another question, "Don't you think that if this place was serious all the time we would all eventually crack?"

"Well yes, my son, I think that would be the case" I said assuming I knew what crack meant

"So don't you think a laugh now and then is a good thing?" He said looking at me like I should be getting the point of his questions. I began to think about it. Sometimes I would see my sons fighting about things and as Michelangelo put it, the stress was really thick. Then I remembered that right when everything is going downhill, my youngest pulls a prank or tells a joke. Sometimes the joke may not get a laugh, but it somehow eases the tension.

Now I see what it is that he means. He is already helping his brothers in a way only he can do it. Now that I understand, I look at him and nod. He smiles at me and nods as well.

"Very well, you may go now Michelangelo" I tell him, he stands up, gives a bow, and goes out of my room.

I stay to reflect on what he told me. A smile creeps up to my lips. My sons are all special. Each one gives what they have to the others. Leonardo the perfectionist protects his brothers to the best of his abilities, Raphael, being the most passionate one, won't let anyone down, Donatello the little genius uses his brain for the better, and Michelangelo's care free character helps to unite them.

My smile grows bigger. It seems that even I was taught a lesson by my youngest.

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**Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my story. This is my first complete story!! Please review so I know what you thought of it!!**

**Oh, yeah! I know I'm not good with the fighting scenes so I'm sorry about that**

**ALSO a especial thank you to Simone Robinson who put my story in the C2 community of Bright Orange since my first chapter. THANK YOU!!**


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